Programme pour les enfants de la Presqu’île

Supported by the Foundation from 2005 to
2013

The Foundation firmly believes in the importance of the overall
development of the very young and actively promotes a preventive
approach with children who live in poverty. We are convinced that
early detection of problems that can impede optimal development is
a key factor in children's educational success. It is for that
reason that the Foundation has chosen to support the Programme
pour les enfants de la Presqu'île (PEP).

The program run by the Fondation des enfants de
Vaudreuil-Soulanges helps children in this region that is
south-west of Montreal. It is jointly managed by the
Vaudreuil-Soulanges Centre de la santé et services sociaux
(CSSS) (clinical aspect) and the Comité d'action local de
Vaudreuil-Soulanges* (administrative aspect).

The program's ultimate goal is to help local youngsters
get off to a good start at school by providing a
variety of activities for children from birth to 5 or 6 years of
age. To achieve that goal, the program focuses on:

training practitioners in the use of various
tools and programs, such as the Early Childhood Environment Rating
Scale (ECERS), Jeux d'enfants (parent-child games),
Brindami (developing social and emotional skills), Vers le Pacifique 4
ans (conflict resolution) and ASQ (Ages and
States Questionnaire)

setting up these tools and programs in
different daycare services in Vaudreuil-Soulanges

evaluating the impact of the tools and
programs on practitioners' practice and children's
development

improving parents' knowledge of their child's
development and needs from birth to the age of 5 or 6

early detection of developmental problems in
children

improving the quality of services offered in daycare
facilities through the use of recognized evaluation
tools.

The first objective -- setting up the program in daycares in
Vaudreuil-Soulanges -- has been achieved. During the four-year
period from 2006-2010, the impact of the program on 500 children
was assessed on an annual basis. The positive effects of the
childhood development tools and programs has already been observed,
particularly with respect to communication, overall motor
skills and individual and social skills.

Feedback

"I've learned a lot from the
practical informal talks given by the PEP program-things based on
my experience that I can apply to my work every day."

Lynn PériardLa Passerelle
Shelter for women
who are victims of conjugal violence

"I believe that a program like
PEP, that offers such excellent training opportunities, can really
change the daily practice of educators for the better…and it's the
children who benefit the most."

Geneviève
GauthierGarderie éducative Enfant Cité

The following anecdote talks about the use of
Brindami, a program taught to educators that helps
children to develop social skills, express emotion and exercise
self control.

Brindami training

An educator at the Garderie éducative Enfant Cité
became emotional when she told us about a little girl of three and
a half who seemed very unhappy following her parents' separation,
but wouldn't talk about it. When the puppet Brindami
visited her daycare, she greeted each child, asking "How are you
today?" When her turn came, the little girl was able to talk to
Brindami about her situation and express her
unhappiness.

* The creation of a local action
committee in Vaudreuil-Soulanges was the result of a major
mobilization/consultation among partners from the region's
municipal, educational and community sector whose objective was to
pool their observations on the situation of children and young
people from 0 to 24 in order to promote healthy lifestyle
habits.